News Flash

City Manager Jon Jennings is pleased to announce that he has selected Mona Bector to serve as the new Assistant City Manager. She will start Tuesday, May 29. The City conducted a search process for an Assistant City Manager to replace current Deputy City ...

The City is alerting the public that street and crosswalk re-striping work will begin Monday, May 21, and will continue throughout the spring. Crews will be working the daytime hours to take advantage of the warmer temps so the new paint can dry quicker. ...

An Immigrant Entrepreneurship Workshop series is being offered throughout June by the City of Portland to assist New Mainers with starting a business. The workshop will cover the pros and cons of owning your own business, the steps needed for start-up, th...

In-person absentee voting at City Hall will begin on Tuesday, May 22 after the City Council takes the final vote of the School Budget Orders on Monday, May 21. Mailed absentee ballots were sent out to those who requested them this week, however ballots wi...

City Manager Jon Jennings is pleased to announce that the City received $150,457 in additional Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) federal funding than it expected for FY19. Per Council action from April 18, the City is increasing the following items...

Starting on Monday, May 14th, Bedford Street will be converted into a one-way street to accommodate construction activities related to the Bedford Street Sewer Separation project. At least one lane will be maintained for traffic traveling from Deering Ave...

On Thursday, May 17, staff of the Public Health Division will co-host a community health fair with members of Maine Medical Center’s Nursing Professional Excellence Council. This event will take place during National Prevention Week (May 13-19), an&nb...

The City Council’s Economic Development Committee will hold a public hearing tomorrow night, May 15 at 5:30 PM in Room 209, to discuss the proposed expansion of the Portland Downtown business improvement district. This item was on the Committee&...

The City of Portland is pleased to announce that it will be contributing almost $33,000 to the Housing Trust Fund from short-term rental registration fees. The Housing Trust Fund is used to fund affordable housing projects throughout the city. This is the...

The fifth season of Sundays on the Boulevard will start Sunday, May 6, 2018. Baxter Boulevard, with one of the best views in Portland, will once again be transformed into an urban oasis for bike riding, running, walking, skateboarding and other recreation...

The 2018 cruise season officially began today with the arrival of the Artania with 1,200 passengers and more than 500 crew members. Portland will see two other ship visits in April and nine ships in May before really kicking into high gear over the summer...

The City of Portland and surrounding municipalities have been impacted by the recent preliminary release of proposed flood maps revisions prepared for FEMA. During the review of the proposed flood maps it was determined that many of the culverts and bridg...

The City Clerk is seeking applications for several vacancies on various boards and committees. The vacant positions are described below. Additional information is available in the City Clerk’s office, on the City’s website or at 207-87...

On Saturday, April 21, as part of the Green Neighbor Family Fest at Deering High School, City officials and representatives from Recycling Partnership, L.L. Bean, Sappi North America, and Catalyst will unveil new public space recycling containers. These u...

The City Council’s Health & Human Services and Public Safety Committee will meet next on Tuesday, April 24 at 5:30 PM in Room 24. The meeting’s agenda will include a public hearing for Mayor Strimling’s proposed earned pa...

The Age-Friendly Portland Steering Committee launched a new voluntary program this month to help local business owners become more sensitive to the needs of older customers and receive recognition for efforts to make their business more “age-friendly” and...

The City’s Forestry Management crew recently discovered Browntail Moth webs on the mainland in Portland. This pest has been active just north and east of Portland for a number of years, mostly from Falmouth to the Bath/Brunswick areas and Casco ...

The Department of Public Works (DPW) expects to complete its Market Street Paving Project during the next two weeks. The project area extends from Congress St. to Milk St. on Market Street. Construction work will entail localized pavement repairs, curb an...

The City of Portland is pleased to announce the members of the Portland Disability Advisory Committee (PDAC), which advises the City Manager on issues of importance to people with disabilities and also recommends policies, practices, and legislation in ma...

The Bedford Street Sewer Separation project, which will separate the existing combined sewer in the street to a separate sanitary sewer and a separate storm water drain, will begin construction work the week of April 16. The sanitary sewage will continue ...

Portland City Manager Jon Jennings presented his recommended municipal budget for Fiscal Year 2019 (FY19), which begins July 1, 2018, to the City Council at its April 9, 2018 meeting. The $247 million budget results in a 2.6% city-side property tax rate i...

The City Council’s Finance Committee will meet twice this week -- first on Wednesday, April 11 at 5:00 PM in Council Chambers to discuss the FY19 CIP budget. The Committee is expected to take action at this meeting before sending it to the full ...

The City of Portland filed a lawsuit today in Cumberland County Superior Court against the manufacturers and distributors of opioid drugs in response to the substantial impact, including the loss of lives, that the opioid epidemic has had on the Portland ...

On Friday, March 30, 2018, the City of Portland released the annual HOME Affordable Housing Development Application. These funds are targeted for projects that will create new, affordable rental housing. Development projects should create rental housing u...

The City of Portland’s Public Health Division believes everyone deserves to live a long and healthy life in a safe environment. To achieve this, we must tackle the causes of poor health and disease risk among individuals and within our communiti...

The City of Portland’s contractor, D&C Construction, will begin work April 2 on a sewer separation project within Washington Avenue, and Walnut, North, and Madison Streets, to reduce combined sewer overflow in Back Cove, and comply with EPA ...

The City of Portland’s Department of Public Works is alerting residents and motorists that the State Street Infrastructure Project will be resuming construction work during the week of April 2, 2018. The City’s contractor, Sargent Corp...

The City of Portland’s Fire Department is getting ready to reach a milestone on March 29, 2018 with its 250th anniversary. Fire Department officials will hold a media event on Thursday, the 29th at 11:00 AM to observe the official anniversary an...

As part of the Police Department’s ongoing recruitment efforts, Chief Michael Sauschuck has assigned Officer Kate Phelan to be the new Recruitment Officer. This is a temporary, but full-time position for the duration of the Department’...

Peggy Akers, who has been a nurse practitioner for the City of Portland’s Public Health Division since 1995, has been chosen as the Maine recipient of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners 2018 State Award for Excellence.

The new OneJoy development located at One Joy Place in the West End offers the City's first affordable housing inclusionary development unit for homeownership. OneJoy is a 12 unit one-bedroom complex and unit 1A has been designated for sale as a workforce...

Non-profit organizations and City of Portland departments are now welcome to apply for grant funding from the Portland Economic Development Plan Implementation Program (PEDPIP). The current round of applications is due no later than March 30, 2018 at 3:00...

Due to recent weather related cancellations, the City Council’s Finance Committee will meet on back to back nights next week. Meetings will occur on Wednesday, March 21 at 5:30 PM in City Council Chambers and on Thursday, March 22 at 5:...

The Portland Police Department will hold two community conversations next week to discuss the body camera pilot program. The first meeting will be held Wednesday, March 21 from 5:30 - 7:00 PM at Deering High School in the Cafeteria, and the second meeting...

The City of Portland is excited to announce that it will begin live-streaming broadcasts of all Council Committee meetings starting with the Economic Development Committee on Tuesday, March 6 at 5:30 PM. All live-stream feeds can be found on the City’s we...

The City of Portland recently granted $36,000 to the Committee to Restore the Abyssinian Meeting House non-profit toward the restoration project that aims to preserve and revitalize this important part of Maine’s history and the cultural heritag...

City Manager Jon Jennings released his recommendation to the City Council for FY19 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding today. More information is available on the City's CDBG webpage. The City Council will hold two public hearings regarding t...

The City Council’s Sustainability and Transportation Committee will discuss embarking on a collaborative climate action planning process with the City of South Portland tomorrow night, and will consider recommending an ambitious goal to reduce g...

City of Portland staff will be holding public outreach sessions for various stakeholder groups and the public at large to discuss the potential plans for the redevelopment of the Portland Ocean Terminal building on the Maine State Pier. Staff will be atte...

National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Chairman Jane Chu announced more than $25 million in grants as part of the NEA’s first major funding for fiscal year 2018. The City of Portland, partnering with the Portland Public Art Committee an...

The City of Portland’s Barron Center was recently identified as a top performing skilled nursing facility by the American College of Health Care Administrators (ACHCA). Each year, The ACHCA recognizes top performers with the Eli Pick Facility Le...

The City of Portland and the Portland International Jetport will celebrate the grand opening of the new Tuskegee Airmen exhibit at the Jetport on Wednesday, February 7 at 10:00 AM. The exhibit, part of a Black History Month celebration, will honor the Tus...

The City of Portland has hired a Maine-based firm named 45 North Research, LLC, to conduct a rental market survey of local market conditions.This survey is being done to provide important housing data for the Council’s Housing Committee.

The Housing Committee would like your feedback on the list of potential housing policy initiatives outlined in the 2017 Housing Report. These initiatives culminated from ideas gathered in 2016 from four public input meetings which led to more than 135 pol...

Starting January 29, 2018, the City of Portland will will begin replacing all of its streetlights with new, energy-efficient LED light fixtures. LED streetlights offer several advantages over older lighting technologies:

The City’s Public Health Director, Dr. Kolawole Bankole, outlined his vision and goals for the future of the department during last night’s Health & Human Services Committee meeting. Dr. Bankole envisions a responsive public health...

On Wednesday, January 3, the Portland City Council unanimously approved an ordinance prohibiting the use of synthetic pesticides on most City and private property. The ordinance will go into effect for City properties in July 2018 and for private properti...

The City is currently seeking candidates to serve on the Office of Economic Opportunity’s (OEO) Advisory Team in order to help guide its direction and core priorities. Applications are due by January 5, 2018 and can be found on the Committee web...

Despite the fact that there’s no snow on the ground yet, the City would like to remind residents of winter storm operations information as we head into December. The Department of Public Works is gearing up for the winter season, in which they c...

The Department of Public Works would like to update you on the status and activities regarding the above referenced project. As a reminder, this project is being constructed to help prevent combined sewer overflows (CSO) by separating the storm water from...

The City of Portland is currently accepting registrations for short-term rentals. Current operators of all short-term rentals can come and register at City Hall. The City Council approved an ordinance on April 26, 2017 that requires short-term rental unit...

The Department of Public Works would like to update the public on the status and activities regarding the State Street Infrastructure Improvement Project. As a reminder, this project will separate the existing combined sewer in State Street and State Stre...

Job creation matching grants are once again available through the City’s Economic Development Department. It is anticipated that the grant funds will go quickly, so interested applicants are encouraged to submit applications as soon as possible. The Busin...

Starting November 16, the City of Portland's Permitting and Inspections Department will offer the opportunity for customers to meet with a Code Enforcement Officer for 30 minutes and ask questions. Appointments are available from 9 am to 12 pm every Thurs...

A priority of the Council’s Housing Committee this year was to create a current situation report on housing policy, availability, and affordability. In response, the City’s Housing and Community Development division recently completed the 2017 Housing Rep...

A priority of the Council’s Housing Committee this year was to create a current situation report on housing policy, availability, and affordability. In response, the City’s Housing and Community Development division recently completed ...

The City of Portland joined WEX, Inc. and 0 Hancock Street, LLC to break ground on WEX’s new world headquarters at the corner of Hancock and Thames Street in Portland on Tuesday, October 24. The project includes a 100,000 square foot, 4-story mi...

The City of Portland will soon operate day shelter services at the Oxford Street Shelter on a temporary basis until the planning for a new one-story shelter with on-site services is approved and the new shelter is operational. This means that the shelter ...

The City Council will review and discuss a proposal at its October 16 meeting to convert street lights in Portland from metal halide and high pressure sodium to LED technology, which has long been a goal of the Council and City in order to reduce costs, e...

Mayor Strimling and the City of Portland’s Parks, Recreation & Facilities Department has joined The Trust for Public Land, National Recreation and Park Association, and Urban Land Institute in launching an historic “10-mi...

The City Council’s Sustainability & Transportation Committee unanimously approved a pesticides ordinance last night following a public hearing. The Committee recommends the ordinance now go before the full City Council for a first-read on No...

The City of Portland is ready to begin the registration process for short-term rentals on Monday, October 16. Current operators of all short-term rentals can come and register beginning on the 16th. All island, owner-occupied, and tenant-occupied units an...

The City of Portland is pleased to announce that the National Alliance to End Homelessness awarded the Oxford Street Shelter as one of its recipients for the 2017 Innovation and Excellence Awards. The Alliance’s Annual Awards Ceremony honors tho...

The City Council’s Economic Development Committee unanimously approved sending proposed amendments to Portland’s Tax Increment Financing Policy to the full Council with a recommendation for approval. The EDC reviewed a number of propos...

The City of Portland's Substance Use Prevention and Needle Exchange Programs are hosting the Public Health Division's fifth Community Overdose Prevention and Response Training and Naloxone Distribution event on Monday, September 25 in the State of Maine R...

The City Council’s Housing Committee will hear a presentation from staff at its Tuesday, September 26 meeting regarding new housing policy tools to help address affordability of the housing market and housing policy in general. The package being...

The days of handwriting parking citations are over for the City of Portland. Passport, an industry leader in parking enforcement and citation management software, has launched its citation management platform for the city. The new tickets will begin appea...

The City Council’s Finance Committee will discuss the Mayor’s proposed senior tax equity program and hear an update on the LED street lighting conversion at its Thursday, September 21, 2017 meeting. The meeting will be held at 5:30 PM ...

The federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program is designed to help non-profit organizations start or expand innovative and creative programs that serve the needs of low-income Portland residents. CDBG applications for the next fiscal year of...

On September 21, 2017, the Cityof Portland and the Department of Public Works will be holding a publicinformational meeting for the Somerset Street Restoration Project.The project design includes improvements andalignment changes...

The City of Portland is one of 25 communities chosen by the New American Economy and Welcoming America to receive the Gateways for Growth award, which helps local governments, businesses, and civic leaders develop concrete strategies to integrate immigran...

City Planning staff is hitting the streets over the next few weeks to meet with neighborhood associations about first steps for implementation of the new Comprehensive Plan, Portland’s Plan 2030. These "Community Conversations&quot...

Patrons Oxford Insurance held an open house in its new headquarters at the Portland Technology Park on Thursday, September 7th. The company moved into the 2-story, 19,000 square foot office building this summer just as soon as it was complete. This is the...

The City Council’s Health & Human Services Committee will once again discuss the design and planning for the new emergency shelter during its September 12, 2017 committee meeting. The meeting will take place at 5:30 PM in the State of Maine ...

The City of Portland and Elliotsville Plantation, Inc. are pleased to announce their ongoing collaboration to create a conservancy in Portland that supports municipal parks, trails, and open spaces. A six-member steering committee, which includes a repres...

The City of Portland Public Health Division’s Minority Health Program is pleased to announce that the Maine Cancer Foundation has awarded it with a two-year, $100,000 grant to assist the efforts in increasing colorectal cancer screening rates an...

The City of Portland has successfully deployed 13 sound monitoring devices across the city to collect noise impact data. The devices, which cost $50,000, were installed by Acentech and will collect data for three months. While the impetus for collecting t...

The City of Portland is making it even easier for residents to stay connected about trash collection and recycling with the new Recycle Portland web-tool and mobile app powered by ReCollect. Never miss your waste collection day again and easily find out w...

For the fourth year in a row, the volunteer-based outreach team of the Portland Needle Exchange Program, I AM HERE, is hosting Portland’s Overdose Awareness Day Vigil on August 31, 2017. This vigil is a part of an international movement organize...

The heart of the Arts District will soon harken back to an exciting time in Portland’s history. As it once was, the State Theatre marquee will again be a beacon at the crossroads of Congress and High Streets. The marquee is about to be restored,...

The Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting has been awarded to City of Portland by Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA) for its June 30, 2016 comprehensive annu...

The City of Portland rolled out its new 65 and 96 gallon recycling carts this morning during a press conference. The City will begin distributing new recycling carts with wheels and lids to all residents during the week of August 7 with everyone having th...

The City of Portland’s Public Health Division and Police Department are urging residents to familiarize themselves with the risks and signs of an opioid overdose and be prepared to respond. Several community resources are available for assistanc...

The City of Portland is poised to select the chosen development proposal for the sale of a 48,000 square foot portion of the City-owned Thames Street property located along the city’s Eastern Waterfront. The City’s Economic Development...

Portland, say hello to your new recycling cart! Your home will soon be receiving a shiny new cart thanks to an important relationship between the City of Portland and The Recycling Partnership, a non-profit organization utilizing public-private partnershi...

The City of Portland recently began using a mobile and online platform to raise money for its panhandling-to-work pilot program, Portland Opportunity Crew. The City entered into an agreement with MobileCause to afford citizens the opportunity to support t...

Beginning this Saturday, July 8, Mayor Ethan Strimling will hold office hours at businesses in neighborhoods around the city and outside on City Hall Plaza for the second round of "Strimling on the Street." The meeting times are designed to enga...

The City's contractor for the State Street Infrastructure Project will begin work on July 5. The project includes new storm drain outfall, water main replacement, the re-paving of State Street, and more.

The City of Portland’s Riverside Golf Course is one of 58 grant recipients in 31 states to receive funds from the Feed a Bee Forage Grant Initiative. The course received the maximum award amount of $5,000.

Following the recent City Council approval of Portland’s new Comprehensive Plan, there is an effort to address a key concern raised by many: producing housing that average Portland residents and workers can afford. City staff is working with the...

Portland senior citizens, service providers, neighborhood association members, community leaders, business owners, and interested Portland residents of any age are invited to attend the Age-Friendly Community Summit on Thursday, June 15. The event is spon...

Portland Mayor Ethan Strimling joined the “Climate Mayors” network in support of the Paris Agreement in Portland. To help bring further awareness to this effort, City Hall will be lit green this week and Mayor Strimling is working with Councilors to spons...

The 2017 cruise season officially begins this Sunday with the arrival of the first large ship of the season, the Grandeur of the Seas, with 2,000 passengers and almost 800 crew. Portland welcomed six other small ships in May and two others are scheduled t...

On Saturday, May 13th, the Portland Fire Department (PFD) will celebrate the graduation of eight new firefighters known as class 2017-24. Their graduation follows a rigorous eight-week advanced fire training drill school. Upon graduation, the graduates wi...

The City of Portland is pleased to announce an exciting collaboration between several departments and a local non-profit agency. On Tuesday, May 9, Portland’s Public Health Division, Fire Department, Oxford Street Shelter, and Milestone Foundati...

The Portland Police Department is now offering $10,000 signing bonuses in an effort to help recruit new officers and telecommunicators in the Portland Regional Community Dispatch Center. The Department is looking to hire 10 new officers to start the Polic...

The City of Portland’s pilot program, Portland Opportunity Crew, begins today. The program will offer panhandlers the opportunity to earn money to clean up public areas. Workers will be picking up trash and beautifying parks and trails, primarily on the p...

Ahead of Earth Day, City Councilor Spencer Thibodeau, Chair of the Sustainability & Transportation Committee, is offering a resolution for Council consideration, supporting the goal of achieving 100% clean energy for municipal City operations by 2040....

In celebration of National Community Development Week April 17 - 22, 2017, the City of Portland and its partner organizations invite the media and public to attend a series of site tours around Portland. The tours will offer an inside look into the partne...

Portland City Manager Jon Jennings presented his recommended municipal budget for Fiscal Year 2018 (FY18), which begins July 1, 2017, to the City Council at its April 5 meeting. The $240 million budget results in a 2.5% combined property tax increase or $...

The City of Portland is pleased to announce that it has recently hired two people to serve in key staffing posts. Julia Trujillo Luengo will start May 1st as the Director of the new Office of Economic Opportunity and Mandy Levine will start April 24 as th...